Editorial Content for Seed
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Reviewer (text)
Alison Stewart
Lisa Heathfield’s debut novel is nothing if not bold. In the first paragraph alone, for instance, 15-year-old protagonist Pearl worries that she’s bleeding to death. (Spoiler alert, she’s only menstruating, which, frankly, makes for an even more brazen first chapter). By the beginning of chapter two, a fellow resident of Seed has already given Pearl “the talk”... and sealed her away in a cramped, suffocating pit, A.K.A. “Nature’s womb.” But Pearl’s forced confinement underground is only the beginning of her disillusionment with “Seed”--- the back-to-nature commune she was born into. When she meets Ellis, a boy from “the outside,” Pearl must confront the savagery and deceit lurking at the heart of her beloved Seed.
Though SEED doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable topics, Pearl’s endearingly naive first-person narration tempers the novel’s darker aspects. Unlike most YA dystopias, SEED isn’t afraid to depict the pleasures of Pearl’s idyllic home --- closeness to nature, a sense of belonging --- alongside its perils. And why shouldn’t it? Despite its seedier (sorry, Heathfield, but you were asking for it) elements, I genuinely enjoyed inhabiting this quasi-paradise for 329 pages of apple orchards, sunsets and religious tyranny. More importantly, however, Heathfield’s portrayal (some might even sayemphasis) of Seed’s friendlier side renders its cruelty all the more chilling.
Lisa Heathfield’s stunning debut melds the draconian oppression of The Hunger Games, the pervasive brainwashing of 1984, the burgeoning defiance of MATCHED and the tender disillusionment of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
The novel’s somewhat episodic chronology hastens along the plot, but Heathfield’s liberal use of time-jumps hurries the story’s development a tad too much. While I’m no stranger to the thrills of a fast read, I’m also no stranger to the lavishness of Heathfield’s world-building or the complexity of her unresolved subplots --- and, consequently, I would’ve enjoyed a few more chapters spent exploring Pearl’s world or expanding these subplots to fruition. And even though Papa S.’s religious tyranny supplies (indirectly, at least) most of the book’s major plot points, Papa S.’s character remains agonizingly obscured beneath 336 pages of phony smiles and thunder-voiced charisma.
Lisa Heathfield’s stunning debut melds the draconian oppression of The Hunger Games, the pervasive brainwashing of 1984, the burgeoning defiance of MATCHED and the tender disillusionment of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Don’t read this book expecting clichéd fluff or ---thank you, Heathfield --- another teen love triangle. But if you’re looking for a complex, psychological coming-of-age, this SEED won’t disappoint.
Teaser
All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community --- particularly the teenage son, Ellis --- only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.
Promo
All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community --- particularly the teenage son, Ellis --- only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.
About the Book
All that Pearl knows can be encapsulated in one word: Seed. It is the isolated community that she was born into. It is the land that she sows and reaps. It is the center of her family and everything that means home. And it is all kept under the watchful eye of Papa S.
At fifteen years old, Pearl is finally old enough to be chosen as Papa S.'s companion. She feels excitement...and surprising trepidation that she cannot explain. The arrival of a new family into the Seed community --- particularly the teenage son, Ellis --- only complicates the life and lifestyle that Pearl has depended upon as safe and constant. Ellis is compelling, charming and worldly, and he seems to have a lot of answers to questions Pearl has never thought to ask. But as Pearl digs to the roots of the truth, only she can decide what she will allow to come to the surface.
Lisa Heathfield's suspenseful, scintillating debut features a compelling voice that combines blithe naïveté, keen observation and sincere emotion.
